Flu kills three in Washington state
Dec 27, 2012, 1:03 PM | Updated: Dec 28, 2012, 7:15 am
Health officials are urging people to get flu vaccines after three people died from influenza in Washington state in December. (AP image)
(AP image)
The Washington State Health Department reports influenza has killed the first three people of the flu season, but they likely won’t be the last.
A Pierce County boy under 12 died early in December, while a man in his 80’s and a woman in her 70’s died over the past two weeks in King County, according to Health Department spokesperson Julie Graham.
Learn more about flu prevention
“It’s a tragic reminder that the flu can be very serious and we really want people to go out there and get a flu shot because the flu can be prevented,” she says.
Graham says approximately 25 adults and two children die from confirmed influenza cases in Washington state every year, but it likely strikes many more.
“We know that there are more cases of people who had the flu who then were susceptible to something else like they already had an underlying medical condition that was made worse by the flu and then they died,” she says.
Graham says flu activity has increased significantly in recent weeks. And she’s urging people to get their vaccines now, before they get sick.
“This year we know that the vaccine is a good match for the strains of influenza that are circulating here so we’re really hoping that people will take this seriously and go out and take advantage of the supply of flu vaccine.”
In addition to the vaccine, Graham says the best way to prevent the flu from spreading is frequent hand washing, covering your cough and staying home if you’re sick.
